Southampton responded admirably to the conclusion of their lengthy unbeaten streak midweek by securing a comfortable victory over West Bromwich Albion, propelling them back to second place in the Championship standings.
Just three evenings after suffering a 3-1 defeat at Bristol City, marking their first loss in 25 games, Russell Martin’s dynamically efficient Southampton side rebounded with a commanding victory over fifth-placed West Bromwich Albion. Ryan Fraser and David Brooks each notched neatly executed goals, one in each half, to secure the win.
Albion encountered early disruption with the unexpected dismissal of head coach Carlos Corberan, who was bizarrely red-carded for attempting to retrieve the ball from his technical area before it had gone out of play.
However, despite this unusual incident and the presence of prospective new American owner Shilen Patel observing the match, the hosts failed to mount a significant challenge, resulting in only their fourth home league defeat in 31 games over the 16-month tenure of the Spaniard.
While Albion were unsettled by the peculiar event that led to Corberan’s unexpected absence from the touchline due to “misconduct,” Southampton’s Adam Armstrong had already tested keeper Alex Palmer before Fraser’s 14th-minute volley opened the scoring. Stuart Armstrong’s precise delivery found Fraser unmarked, allowing him to guide the ball into the net with a well-timed volley.
Although Albion enjoyed a brief spell of pressure before halftime, including John Swift’s narrowly missed attempt and a penalty appeal when Jack Stephens inadvertently handled Darnell Furlong’s shot, they failed to capitalize on these opportunities.
Stephens came to Southampton’s rescue by clearing off the line from Okay Yokuslu’s flicked header, while Swift’s attempt narrowly missed the target early in the second half.
Despite these efforts, Albion failed to find a breakthrough, as Southampton sealed a season’s double over them with a goal 17 minutes from time.
Substitute Joe Aribo initiated the move by finding Stuart Armstrong, who then set up Sam Edozie on the left flank. Edozie provided a slick pass to fellow substitute Brooks, who calmly directed a low left-footed shot past Palmer.
Although Saints keeper Gavin Bazunu was called into action to deny Yokuslu’s late header, the outcome was already settled long before, with the Baggies unable to mount a comeback.
Who’s next?
Both Albion and Southampton will resume their fixtures on Tuesday.
Albion will travel to Devon to take on mid-table Plymouth Argyle, while Saints will host play-off hopefuls Hull City.
Corberan’s second dismissal of the season resulted in another ban, following this season’s new Football Association directive. Consequently, he was unable to fulfill his usual post-match media obligations, a situation that also occurred on the opening day of the season at Blackburn.